This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The Prof. Wolczanski group (Cornell) is interested in the synthesis, reactivity and applications of transition metal complexes. Using sterically bulky ligands (e.g, silox(tBu3SiO), tBu3SiNH, tBu3SiN and tritox (tBu3CO)), they explore the reactivity of low coordinate metal centers that cleave CX (X = H, C, heteroatom) bonds. ESR can provide important structural information and give insight into the extend of ligand participation into metal bonding.